Elena's Choice
by Never Goodbye
Summary: Elena must finally choose what she is going to do with the mess her life is. *An xmas gift for my bff/sister*


Disclaimer: I do not own the shows or the books but I do own this plot idea. Also the somgs used in this is A place in this world which belongs to Taylor swift and Boston which belongs to Augustana. (Both amazing songs).

A/N: So I actually kinda love this plot line cause I could almost see it happening on the show if Elena would put herself and family first. This was also written for part of my bff's xmas gift and we don't agree on our Elena ships, (she likes stelena more while I love Delena.) but we can both see her loving both brothers. So this is what came from an idea I had with Elena driving away and five people in her review mirror. So merry Christmas Jude, I love ya!

* * *

**I don't know what I want, so don't ask me  
Cause I'm still trying to figure it out  
Don't know what's down this road, I'm just walking  
Trying to see through the rain coming down  
Even though I'm not the only one  
Who feels the way I do**

"_It's okay to love them both you know." Rosa said as she lay on the couch in front of their fire place. _

"_I don't know what you're talking about." Elena said as she watched the wolf bite slowly too her life from her, well her after life. _

"_Keep telling yourself that." Rosa whispered before she fell asleep for the last time._

Elena was sitting up in her bed after helping Damon and Stefan get hid of her body. There was a knock at the bathroom door, looking up from her journal she saw Jeremy leaning against the doorframe. "You got home late." He said smirking at her.

"Rosa died this afternoon, I had to help the boys." She told him as he crossed her room.

"Damn that sucks." He told her sitting on her bed. "I have to tell you something."

"What?" the sister asked.

"Katherine's out of the tomb. I have no idea how it happened or anything but she showed up at the house when Jenna was out with Ric." Jeremy said trying to pop his neck.

"Oh god she bit you again." Elena said pulling his collar down to his shoulder blade.

"It's not a big deal." Jeremy tried to shrug it off.

"It is!" Elena yelled throwing her journal down. "Why does that bitch have to screw up everything up. I was fine till she came into my life. My friends and family were safe, I was happy with Stefan, I wasn't questioning whatever it is going on between Damon and I. Everything was fine." Elena cried.

"Wow what are you talking about?" he asked.

"She threatened everything and everyone I care about. She will kill you all one by one if I don't leave Stefan alone or give her everything she wants." Elena cried harder. Jeremy got up and crossed the room and took his big sister in his arms. "I have to fix this." She whispered to him.

* * *

**I'm alone, on my own, and that's all I know  
I'll be strong, I'll be wrong, oh but life goes on  
I'm just a girl, trying to find a place in  
This world**

Three days have passed since Elena found out about Katherine. She had spent those three days locked away in her room trying to figure out what she could do to keep everyone safe. She knew Katherine would not stop till she got what she went. Elena turned up her radio to try to block out the noise from the outside world. _"__She said I think I'll go to Boston... I think I'll start a new life, I think I'll start it over, where no one knows my name, I'll get out of California, I'm tired of the weather, I think I'll get a lover and fly him out to Spain... I think I'll go to Boston, I think that I'm just tired I think I need a new town, to leave this all behind... I think I need a sunrise, I'm tired of the sunset, I hear it's nice in the Summer, some snow would be nice... oh yeah,"_ the song Boston played out to her. "That's it." She whispered. She quickly got up from her computer chair and ran down the stairs. Ric and Jeremy were currently on the living room waring it out in Call of Duty: Black Opps and aunt Jenna was in the kitchen working on her laptop on a paper for her class. "I need to talk to you all about something." She told them as she stepped into the living room.

"What's up?" Jenna asked turning towards her.

"Aunt Jenna a lot is going on that you have no idea about, people are in danger because of me." She said locking eyes with Jeremy and Ric. "I have to do what I can to protect the ones I love."

"Elena." Jeremy said looking at her. She was not going to tell Aunt Jenna everything, she couldn't they all made a point to keep Jenna in the dark about all the mythical shit world that they were living in.

"I need to leave." Elena told them all. "I have to get out of Mystic Falls. I need to get away to protect you all, and Matt, Tyler, Bonnie, and Stefan and Damon. As long as I'm here no one is safe and I have a lot going on that isn't good for me. Everytime I turn around I'm haunted by the memory of mom and dad. I can't walk down the street without picturing them. I need a fresh start." She said as she sat on the table. "I need to find my place in this world without everyone holding my hand."

"So what I'm just suppose to let you run away. If this is about you feeling something for both brothers then you don't have to leave, you can just tell Stefan that you need a break to find yourself without being his girlfriend and without constantly worrying about hurting Damon." Jenna said sitting next to her neice.

"It's not just that. Just let me go then once I leave Ric and Jeremy will tell you everything." She said kissing her aunts hand.

"Where would you go?" Jeremy asked speaking up for the first time.

"Someplace where no one knows my name or my history, just some place I could start over." She told them.

"Elena if you leave then no one will be there to protect you." Ric said locking eyes with her.

"I wouldn't be in danger anymore because I would be out of the picture." She told him back. "Just let me go you all." She said standing up and going back up stairs.

Jenna followed her. "If I was to let you. Would you stay in contact and come home sooner or later?" she asked walking into the room.

"I would stay in contact and when the time was right I would come home." Elena said turning to face her aunt. "I promise you it's for the best."

Back down stairs Jeremy turned to Ric. "There is more to this then just mom and dad and the whore vamp being out of the tomb." Jeremy wishpered.

"Jeremy your sister has been though a lot this past two years. Your parents died, her boyfriend saved her only to turn out that he was a vampire, her best friend is a witch, her other best friend is a vampire, she has some unanswered feelings for some one that could be more than a friend, her childhood friend is a werewolf, she found out she was adopted, her mom is a vampire that wants nothing to do with her, an uncle that she hates turned out be her dad. Her brother can't die because of a magical ring. I don't blame her for wanting to leave town." Ric said listing all the reasons that he would leave if he was Elena.

"I still think this has more to do with Damon and Stefan then anything." Jeremy said running his hands though his hair.

Ten minutes later Jenna came down stairs looking defeated. "She's leaving in three days but she doesn't want anyone but the three of us to know." Jenna said wiping a stay tear.

Jeremy and Ric shared a look before they both pulled out their cell phones so they cold text someone.

* * *

**Got the radio on, my old blue jeans  
And I'm wearing my heart on my sleeve  
Feeling lucky today, got the sunshine  
Could you tell me what more do I need  
And tomorrow's just a mystery, oh yeah  
But that's ok**

Two days later Elena sat in her empty room everything but her pictures were packed and loaded in her car for her two leave first thing tomorrow morning. She grabbed Mr. Teddy and sat on her bed when two gust of wind blew though her window. "We're you going to leave without saying goodbye?" the first voice asked.

"We had to find out from the wannbe slayer club that's a bitch move." The other voice said.

"I'm going to kill them." Elena said closing her eyes. "I need a clean break guys. I'm putting everyone I love in danger as long as I'm here. I know you all have been hunting for Katherine since she got out of the tomb. Rose died because I had to go snooping for Klaus. I can't have my family and friend in danger. And I refuse to let anything happen to either of you." She told the brothers.

"Please we can take care of ourselves and you." Damon said sitting on her left.

"It's my job to protect you." Stefan said sitting on her right.

"It's not just that. Everything I do hurts here. Everything and it kills me knowing that I'm causeing you two pain." She cried.

"Elena." They said at the same time.

"No. Damon tell me that you don't love me and that it's not killing you that I was with Stefan when I know you had feelings for me." She said looking at him.

"That's not the point. I'm a vampire I'm use to pain."

"Stefan tell me that I'm not breaking your heart I share a smile with Damon or have silent convection by just locking eyes with him." She said turning to the other brother.

"Elena then you can stay here and figure it out. You don't have to run." He told her.

"You all don't get it. Everything hurts. Everything my heart, my body, my soul, my head. I'm stuck in this town with everyone bending over backwards to protect me but I get yelled at for trying to save you all, my parents memories haunt me. I just need to get away where I don't have mythical best friends and men that mean more to me then they should. I need to learn how to be Elena Gilbert again. Not Stefan's girlfriend, Jeremy's sister, Bonnie and Cara's best friend, and not Damon's big what could be." She said standing in front of the brothers.

"Elena everything hurts because you're alive." Damon tells her while reaching out for her hand.

"Katherine was too much of a selfish bitch to do right by you two. She refused to let either of you go, she used you both for her personal enjoyment and I refuse to let history repeat it's self." She said grabbing one of their hands in each of her's. "Someone told me that it was okay to love you both and she might have been right, but it's not ok to string you along for my own personal joy. I love you both enough to let you go so I don't hurt you." She brought Stefan's hand up to her lips and placed a soft kiss there. "and I'm hoping you both love me enough to let me go." She said before kissing Damon's hand.

"Promise you'll write." Stefan said standing up to hug her.

"I'm only a text away if you need me sweet Elena." Damon whispered in her ear once he got her in his arms.

* * *

**I'm alone, on my own, and that's all I know  
I'll be strong, I'll be wrong, oh but life goes on  
I'm just a girl, trying to find a place in  
This world**

The next morning Elena was eating breakfast with Jeremy and Jenna for one last time. Ric would be over in a half hour to see her off on the road. The house was deathly quiet. "Thank you for text Stefan and Damon Jer." She told her little brother.

"I just texted Stefan, Ric must have to Damon, but they needed to know. It's not my place to tell Tyler or Bonnie or anyone, but Stefan and Damon needed to know." He told her with a small smile.

"I know. We had a good talk last night. I told them goodbye." She said looking down at her plate.

"Did you tell them that you loved them both?" Jenna asked not wanting her niece to leave with any regrets.

"I did. I also told them that I need to find myself again without the labels that I've earned of the last year." She said looking at her aunt.

The three quickly changed the subject not wanting to think about the goodbyes coming up. They wanted to enjoy their last few minutes together as the small family unit they had been right after Elena and Jeremy's parents had died, before the drugs and partying took over Jeremy's life and Elena trying to prove to everyone that she was over it became her new obsession. Before they knew it the thirty minutes had past and Ric walked through the door with Stefan and Damon on his heels.

"What are you all doing here?" Elena asked as she walked down the stairs with her purse, laptop bag, and cds in her hands.

"You didn't really think last night was us saying goodbye did you?" Damon asked taking the purse and cds while Stefan reached for her laptop bag.

"I had a feeling it wasn't." she smiled at them before she hugged them both.

"Sis you ready to get the last of your stuff in the car?" Jeremy asked solemnly walking to the foyer.

"Yeah." She said as he walked over to her.

Jeremy put his arm around his sister and lead her out of the door with the two brother, Ric and Aunt Jenna on their heels. Stefan and Damon put her last three items in the passenger seat while she hugged her family. "I love you both so much." Elena whispered to her brother and aunt while the three shared a hug. "Promise me you will take care of each other."

"We will. You take care of yourself Lena." Jeremy said kissing her hair. He felt like the big brother seeing his baby sister off, but in his heart he knew she needed this.

"Call us when you get there so we know where you are and then again when you get settled." Jenna told her brushing her nieces' hair out of her face.

"I will. I promise." She said kissing her aunt's cheek.

"I'm gonna miss you Elena. You've become family to me." Ric said hugging her tight.

"I'm gonna miss you too Ric. You are family as far as I think." She said kissing his cheek.

The three stepped onto the porch so she could say goodbye to the brothers alone. Turning around she came face to face with them. "I want you both to know that I love you both very much. Never ever forget that." She said stepping up to them as the tears filled her eyes.

"I know." They said at the same time.

She walked around them and opened her back car door, she dug around in the top box for a second before leaning out of the car again, this time with her journal in one hand and Mr. Teddy in the other. Walking to Stefan first she placed her journal in his hand and he closed his hand around it a second later. "Thank you for everything." She said kissing his cheek and hugging him for the last time. She stepped away from him and moved to Damon and handing him Mr. Teddy. "I shouldn't have told you that it would always be Stefan, I can't grantee that. And I more than just care about you but that's why I'm letting you both go." She said hugging him then placed a kiss to his ear.

* * *

**Maybe I'm just a girl on a mission  
But I'm ready to fly  
I'm alone, on my own, and that's all I know  
I'll be strong, I'll be wrong, oh but life goes on  
I'm just a girl, trying to find a place in  
This world**

Pulling away from him she motioned her family down one last time and after each person was hugged and kissed good bye she got into her car. Pulling away from the curb she looked in the review mirror one last time and saw five of the most important people, the five people she was trying the most to protect waving goodbye to her. Letting her go just like she wanted.

"I love you all." She whispered looking at them. She closed her eyes for a second taking a deep breath and letting it out before looking at the road again. She turned on the radio to get rid of the silence. _"__She said I think I'll go to Boston... I think I'll start a new life, I think I'll start it over, where no one knows my name, I'll get out of California, I'm tired of the weather, I think I'll get a lover and fly him out to Spain... I think I'll go to Boston, I think that I'm just tired I think I need a new town, to leave this all behind... I think I need a sunrise, I'm tired of the sunset, I hear it's nice in the Summer, some snow would be nice... oh yeah," _leaked from her speakers again.

* * *

~Fin~


End file.
